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The Lucky One  by Antane 86 Review(s)
CibilkaReviewed Chapter: 9 on 1/9/2022
It's me again! I hope you aren't getting tired of my reviews yet, haha. I'd hate to sound ignorant here, which I inevitably would anyway by asking this question. When Prof. Tolkien said that Frodo felt "tempted to regret Its destruction" what did he exactly mean? Could you perhaps elaborate more on it. I understand that a great part of his suffering comes from his lust-hate relationship of the Ring, but I guess it seems I still don't fully understand the extent of Its evil or how is enslaves and corrupt Its bearer.

I understand that the Ring promises you lofty ideals which are very difficult to resist, and it also has tremendous evil force and power to bend anyone's will to it. It took full advantage of Frodo's weakened situation and he didn't stand any chance of resisting it as his state in the end, I understand that much, but as for desiring the Ring- I guess what I want to know is if he truly desired it. I'm of the impression that his thinking he desired it was part of the Ring's lasting influences, like it's tricking him into believing that, instead of what he thinks. How I see it is like being r*pe spiritually. He was forced against his will to take it due to his condition of mind and body at the time, and we know in actual cases where r*pe is involved, the suspect drills it into the mind of their victim that it's their fault.

What do you think? Did Frodo willfully claim the Ring for himself? And are his feelings of guilt based on the fact that he was just falsely led to believe he desired it or that there was/is indeed some part of him that wanted it? I'd really appreciate any response on this! And apologies if I worded some thoughts weirdly. English is not my native language, which is also why I tend to overlook subtle details in the story sometimes.

Author Reply: Hi, not at all tired of your reviews! But I was too tired to respond promptly as I was hit by the flurona but I did attempt to send you some references at the time of other works of mine that may have answered your questions. Apologies that this email got buried with many others as I was recovering and also working on finishing a fantasy that I was working on that is out at last. I think you understand perfectly what hell the Ring put Frodo and all its bearers through but especially Frodo and are exactly right this was r*pe, brutally and repeatedly, forcing him into a situation that in the end was beyond his will to control. He blames himself but he is not to blame, not at all. He resists with all he had with him, with all the grace that was infused into him to resist, and in the end, he was overcome and the Ring swallowed him whole. He did not will this to happen, but he could no longer resist - and by the time he reached the Sammath Naur, he no longer had to - he had done what he needed to do, he had fulfilled his vocation to be Ring-bearer. Everyone thought Ring-bearer and Ring-destroyer were to be the same person but God always knew it would be too much for Frodo in the end. It was never his destiny to be Ring-destroyer, but Ring-bearer, and he fulfilled that role perfectly with every ounce of his strength and will. Tolkien does note in one of his letters Frodo did regret the passing of the Ring - it is gone and now all is dark and empty - but I think that was due to the black mark the Ring left on the souls of Bilbo and Smeagol also, to have them ever lust after it, much like an addict longs for the drug that is destroying them, as Tom Shippey and others have observed. If you haven't read The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, they are fascinating and offer many insights into the sub-creation, including these very points of whether Frodo failed or not (look in the index or my other works that mention them). Thanks so much for the reviews!

Namarie, God bless, Antane :)

H.G.Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 12/8/2015
Yay, happiness to cheer me up from the real life angst I drown in. Thanks for this! Soo good! Loved that story.

Author Reply: Le hannon, SIAHL, glad you enjoyed, and thanks terribly for all your reviews, even if I didn't respond to all of them. You cracked me up and I even read some to my sister. Glad you cut Frodo some slack after yelling at him in that other chapter. He was in such pain.

Namarie, God bless, hugs and love, Antane :)

Author Reply: Le hannon, SIAHL, glad you enjoyed, and thanks terribly for all your reviews, even if I didn't respond to all of them. You cracked me up and I even read some to my sister. Glad you cut Frodo some slack after yelling at him in that other chapter. He was in such pain.

Namarie, God bless, hugs and love, Antane :)

H.G.Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 12/7/2015
Waaaaaaahhhh!!!! Waaaa-a-aaaahhh!!!! 😯😰😰😰😰😰😰😰 Waaaaaaaahhhhhhhh......

H.G.Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 12/7/2015
Alright, Frodo. I get that you love Sam and he loves you and you would do anything for each other, but this is ridiculous. If you love him, how could you POSSIBLY even think of making him go with you? What about Rosie?!?! What about Elanor?!?! He would do it of course, but once in a while don't you think *maybe* you should try to save him from his own unwiseness? Let him stay. He'll always be with you anyway, you selfish hobbit. I was worried you wouldn't get over it, but you did, so major props to you. You had me worried... *phew!*

H.G.Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/6/2015
Wow, that was a great chapter. I need to get in touch with the Queen, inspiration for my songs is dying.

H.G.Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 12/6/2015
"If you are going to believe what people say, then believe this. I love you, Frodo."

Oh... *sob*. Okay. The end. I'm gone. I'm too sad to cry. There goes my heart.

Aside from being the saddest thing I ever read, this is the most beautiful. This is the best fanfiction of yours. No, this is the best fanfiction of anyone's. You are second only to The Professor himself. I hereby give back the crown of angst, even though it did look nice on my head.

Author Reply: Nay, SIAHL, you can keep the crown, after all I wrote this 10 years ago and you are the current Queen of Angst. *recrowns you* I am honored by your words and your reviews for this and OHPA. Glad you liked the ending of that. And that I evoked in you pity even for Gollum... *bows*

Namarie, God bless, Antane :)

H.G.Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 12/6/2015
I love baby Elanor!

H.G.Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 12/6/2015
I like this, comparing Frodo to the white tree.

H.G.Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 12/4/2015
A year ago, if someone had told me, "you are going to get an editor in Chicago, who will then proceed to break your heart because of a mug," I would have ran in the opposite direction and shipped that person to the nearest insane support group. Yet here I am, with a broken heart because of a mug and all the things it represents.

Author Reply: I am honored to move you so much, SIAHL. And le hannon for your other reviews too. *bows in gratitude*

Namarie, God bless, Antane :)

H.G.Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 12/4/2015
That's right, I forgot that Frodo turned into a child on the sixth in your fics. Poor rejected Merry. It's not his fault. It's yours for being cruel to them!!!!! *reaches for tissue*

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